Home on the Range

Took a couple of days off from work. Bought a new range for the old homestead yesterday. The 18-year old Kenmore was fading fast and you needed the Jaws of Life to get the oven door open. The new Frigidaire just got delivered and I installed it myself. No gas leaks or busted knuckles. It's a nice one - five burner, convection oven. Should last us until we are too old to cook for ourselves. Jeez, listen to me going on and on about an appliance!

In other news, had the oppportunity to attend a couple of the first round NCAA men's basketball tournament. Took son-in-law, Phillip, and we had a good time. Got to see Missisippi State defeat Oregon, and #1 seed, Memphis, slaughter UT-Arlington. Our beloved Hogs won their first game against Indiana, but met a buzzsaw on Sunday when they had to play the #1 team in the country and the tournament, North Carolina. It was ugly.

Got a new toy for my home studio - a Digitech Vocalist Live 4 vocal harmony and effects processor. It is incredibly cool. It uses chord recognition technology to build up to 4-part vocal harmonies based on the guitar chords you are playing. You sing the lead vocal and the harmonies track right with you in real time. Lots of different harmony options from a simple 3rd above or below you to real jazzy Take 5 sounds. I have no excuse now to not get busy writing songs.

B.S. Bye-Bye

Well, I'm officially retired from Blue State, having played my final gig last night. It's been an interesting five years. I think I've grown musically and in my playing ability, although I'm still pretty much a hack. I've had the chance to play with some very good musicians - Fred, Charlie, Spanky, David, Drew and JT. We never made a lot of money, but admittedly we were not in for the money. We were in it for . . . ??? . . . I forget, now. Many moments of musical magic interspersed with moments of sheer doo-doo. In hindsight, I think I'm too anal and structured to be effective in a live performing band. Too hard for me to adapt to the occasional (or frequent) musical audibles that some of my bandmates would call. Maybe now, I can get everybody elses music out of my head and start hearing my own. Anybody need some gear?

Frozen Daffodil Festival

They always say, "If you don't like the weather in Arkansas today, just wait until tomorrow." Case in point - Saturday it was sunny and 70 degrees. Spent all day working in the yard, pruning and getting ready for the Spring growing season. This morning woke up to snow. Only got about an inch here in Little Rock, but 6o miles northwest of here they had a foot of the stuff. It was the best kind of snow, in my opinion - stuck to everything except the roads. Didn't last long.

Scored a couple of freebie tickets to the NCAA Regional roundball tourney for the Friday night session on March 21 here in Little Rock. Looking forward to that! Thanks Blue Cross Blue Shield!